Latest News
HomeAsia-PacificMakassar gets more international air connections
Aviation

Makassar gets more international air connections

Makassar is getting more international connections, especially as Indonesia AirAsia is opening its fourth hub in the East Indonesian city.

MAKASSAR- For over 15 years now, the tourism industry in Makassar and South Sulawesi (Celebes) was relentless fighting to get international air connections. The fight started after 1998. In the wake of Indonesia’s collapsing economy, many airlines were pulling out from the world’s largest archipelago. And after trying to fly the route for a couple of years, both Malaysia Airlines and Singapore’s Silk Air decided also to stop flying to Ujung Pandang (the former name of Makassar) judging the business unprofitable.

But a decade later, it is all changed. Makassar is indeed the largest city East of Bali. With over 1.4 million inhabitants, Makassar city is now the true gateway to Eastern Indonesia. Business is good, very good : some 3.5 million domestic travellers come to South Sulawesi every year according to estimates from the Province’s Central Office of Statistics for 2011. Foreign travellers represent however only 45,000 arrivals per year despite the existing potential of the Toraja region, one of Indonesia’s most fascinating area in terms of culture and landscapes. However, the multiplication of international flights will certainly have a positive effect.

AirAsia Bhd in Malaysia was the first to try its luck in Makassar, launching three weekly frequencies back to 2008. It has been followed by Indonesia’s national carrier Garuda, which started again flying to Singapore in 2011. The airline recently converted its Singapore-Makassar into a Singapore-Balikpapan-Makassar route.

Comes now Indonesia AirAsia. The low cost airline unveiled last week ambitious plans for a new gateway in the capital of South Sulawesi. Air Asia Indonesia announced that it was launching new domestic and international routes connecting Semarang, Central Java, as well as Makassar to various cities both in and outside the country.

The new routes comprise Makassar – Bali, Makassar – Kota Kinabalu, Makassar – Kuala Lumpur, Makassar – Manado, Makassar – Surabaya and Semarang – Singapore.

The Semarang – Singapore route will officially start flying on Feb. 7 while the new flights from Makassar will begin operating on March 1.

Air Asia Indonesia president director Dharmadi said he was delighted that the company was finally able to expand its routes in eastern Indonesia and to connect Central Java with Singapore. “Our customers in Semarang and Makassar now have new options when flying to neighbouring countries and other cities in Indonesia,” he said in a statement.

The travel Industry in Makassar hopes now to get flights from Makassar to Guangzhou in China. Nico Pasaka, South Sulawesi Tourism Board Vice Chairman has been fighting for a long time to set up this connection. “Most of the Chinese living in South Sulawesi originates from the Guangdong Province. Such a connection would also help to firmly establish Makassar and South Sulawesi as a new destination for the Chinese market”, he explains.

+ Articles

Luc Citrinot a French national is a freelance journalist and consultant in tourism and air transport with over 20 years experience. Based in Paris and Bangkok, he works for various travel and air transport trade publications in Europe and Asia.

28/03/2024
27/03/2024
26/03/2024
25/03/2024
22/03/2024
21/03/2024